Hydrocodone
Every other developed country does at least as good or as poor a job as we do managing pain — while not using opioids at anywhere near the same level - German Lopez
image by: Chris Yarzab
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Hydrocodone – All About America’s Opioid
Hydrocodone is a uniquely American drug. Every day, there is a new headline about the ongoing – and worsening – opioid epidemic. But in spite of that, US doctors still prescribe powerful painkillers at rates unthinkable in other countries around the world...
Hydrocodone is a semi-synthetic opioid made from codeine, which is itself made from the opium poppy. “Semi-synthetic” means that hydrocodone is a mixture of compounds found in nature and those that are manufactured exclusively in a laboratory.
Hydrocodone was first synthesized in Germany in 1920, in 1943, it gained approval by the Food and Drug Administration for sale in the United States.
Available by prescription…
Resources
Designing less addictive opioids, through chemistry
What if there was a way for pain patients to get all the pain-relieving power of opioids with none of the addicting side effects?
Does hydrocodone get you high?
Here, we will review why hydrocodone makes you feel high, and if you’re at risk of getting addicted to hydrocodone or not.
Drug companies shipped nearly 21 million opioid painkillers to a town with 2,900 people
The small town of Kermit had a population of 392, but a single pharmacy there received 9 million hydrocodone pills over two years from out-of-state drug companies.
How Long Does Hydrocodone Stay in Your System?
Besides hydrocodone alone, there are also prescription products such as Vicodin, Lorcet, and Norco that combine hydrocodone with acetaminophen, ibuprofen, aspirin, and in some cases, antihistamines.
How Long Does Hydrocodone Stay in Your System?
Hydrocodone is the most commonly prescribed opioid in the United States and is connected to unprecedented levels of abuse. It is most commonly used for treatment of chronic pain, and is prescribed as Lortab or Vicodin.
How Many Opioid Pills Do You Need After Surgery?
With heightened addiction concerns, doctors are working to rein in prescriptions of pain relievers like oxycodone and hydrocodone.
New Rules For Hydrocodone: What You Should Know
Hydrocodone is a strong pain-reliever, or analgesic, roughly equal to morphine taken by mouth.... Since 2007, more U.S. prescriptions were written for hydrocodone + acetaminophen than any other drug. In 2012, that was over 135 million prescriptions. For perspective, that's one prescription for every 2.3 men, women, and children in the U.S. that year.
Oxycodone vs. Hydrocodone
People debating oxycodone vs. hydrocodone may assume that the latter drug is the most dangerous. It is the most potent and the one that is the most heavily abused. However, both substances have a very high risk of abuse when not properly taken.
To Fight Addiction, FDA Advisers Endorse Limits On Vicodin
Drugs containing hydrocodone are at the center of an emotional debate that pits the needs of pain patients against efforts to fight widespread abuse of these and other opioid painkillers. More than 136 million prescriptions for these products are dispensed every year, making them the most widely used prescription drugs. Vicodin is probably the best-known hydrocodone medicine, but there are many others, sold under brand names such as Lortab and Norco.
Hydrocodone – All About America’s Opioid
When hydrocodone or another opioid absolutely MUST be dispensed because different pain management methods have proven to be ineffective, they should be given for the lowest dose and the shortest duration possible, with frequent follow-ups by the prescribing physician.
DEA
Hydrocodone is an antitussive (cough suppressant) and narcotic analgesic agent for the treatment of moderate to moderately severe pain. Studies indicate that hydrocodone is as effective, or more effective, than codeine for cough suppression and nearly equipotent to morphine for pain relief.
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